Robinson – Big Plays Propel Bulldogs over Kentucky in Lexington
A win- is a win- is a win is the mantra number-one Mississippi State (7-0) will cling to as they had to fight, scratch and claw to get out of Commonwealth Stadium with a win against Kentucky (5-3) Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs used a strong running game, led by Josh Robinson and Dak Prescott, plus a great effort up front defensively, to get a 45-31 victory over the Cats on Saturday.
For the Bulldogs, it was the first game in the history of the program, where Mississippi State played a football game as the number one team in the country and it showed. The Bulldogs were tight, lethargic and sometimes looked lost, but stood strong in the face of adversity on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs received a huge effort from running back Josh Robinson as he led all rushers with 198-yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. Robinson, along with quarterback Dak Prescott ( 18-carries, 88-yards and 2-touchdowns), gave the Bulldogs a shot in the arm offensively, as Mississippi State tallied 542-total yards and again showed why the have arguably the best offense in the country. The Bulldogs tallied 30-first downs, were 50-percent on third down (8-16) and controlled the clock as they out-paced the Wildcats by almost ten minutes.
Speaking of Prescott, it wasn’t his best day via the passing game, but it was effective enough as the junior signal caller completed 18 of 33 passes for 216-yards and a score. Eight Bulldog receivers caught passes and kept Kentucky off balance all afternoon.
Defensively, the Bulldogs played great up front, tallying seven quarterback sacks and creating many negative plays, but the Bulldog secondary gave way to 390-passing yards and 2-scores.
If there is one perceived weak link on this Bulldog ball club it’s in the secondary as Kentucky shredded the Bulldogs on big play after big play.
It’s definitely a cause for concern moving forward and something the Bulldogs need to address.
For the Bulldogs it was their seventh win in the 2014 football season and the 10th consecutive win, dating back to the 2013 calendar year.
For the Wildcats, it was their first loss at home this year and it was Homecoming for Kentucky, which makes this win a huge win for the Bulldogs. Anytime you can go on the road and win in the SEC it’s special and again, head coach Dan Mullen is yet to lose a ballgame he has been favored in as the Bulldogs skipper. This win should keep Mississippi State number one in the polls and the Bulldogs should be number one in the first ever college football playoff poll, that will be released Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs return back home next week to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Kickoff is set for 6 pm on ESPN or ESPN2.